Beer Calendar: IPAs, Anniversaries, Father's Day and a New Brewery

The Post Brewing in Lafayette will begin canning two of its beers this month: Howdy Beer, a 4.5 percent ABV American-style pilsner (and Great American Beer Festival silver medal winner last year), and Townie Ale, a 6.2 percent ABV English-style pale ale. The brewery and fried chicken specialist says the beers should be available at the end of July at a limited number of liquor stores.

Wednesday, June 17Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will release one bottled beer, Colorado WildSage, and one taproom special, Petite Sour Grapefruit Radler, today at 6 p.m. Colorado WildSage (7.2 percent ABV) is a Brett Saison "brewed to embody Colorado’s high country. Each batch uses fresh white sage and lemongrass foraged from the Rocky Mountains and is fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of Brettanomyces yeast," Crooked Stave says. "Petite Sour Grapefruit Radler (5.5% ABV), the seventh release in Crooked Stave’s line-up of Petite Sours, was primary-fermented in oak with the brewery’s mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria, and then received the equivalent of over a pound per gallon of grapefruit juice." Radlers are traditional German beverages consisting of a blend of beer and citrus juice.

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Copper Kettle made a series of hybrid beers using wine/cider techniques this month and is serving a new one each Wednesday. Today's is Cherry Basil Cider, "a hybrid pairing with Colorado Cider Company using their Grasshop-ah Cider with aromas of lemon zest and fresh cut grass mixed with our Cherry Basil Blonde," the brewery says. Pavy's Food truck will be there at 4 p.m.

June Brewery Night at Stout Street Social (which has a brand new patio) will feature complimentary beers from Epic Brewing from 6 to 8 p.m. The beers include Hopulent, Wit Beer and Hop Syndrome Lager with free food pairings. An Epic brewer will be on-site to chat about the beer program.

Friday, June 19Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will tap Triple Bypass IPA today. The enormous, 14.8 percent ABV beer was brewed by new head brewer Adam Glaser, who will be on hand to chat from 4 to 6 p.m. In addition, you can get a special four-taster flight — called Adam's Pursuit of Hoppyness — all day long for $7. It includes Sawatch IPA, Ptarmigan Ridge Cascadian Dark Ale, the 11.4 percent Timberline Barleywine, and Triple Bypass.

Copper Kettle Brewing will hold its Sobremesa Tap and Bottle Release party today. The beer is the brewery's English Strong Pale Ale, which was aged in tequila barrels with fresh lime zest and sweet agave nectar.

The booming beer town of Longmont will get its newest brewery when Skeye Brewing, at 900 South Hover Street, Suite D, opens at 3 p.m. today with a celebration featuring food trucks and live music by the Prairie Scholars and Interstate Stash Express. Skeye is owned by longtime homebrewers Christopher and Kami Malanowski, and craft-beer industry veteran Steve Allen. Kami, a Marine Corps veteran, will be the head brewer, but Christopher will brew as well. Skeye, named for the owners' dog, includes a seven-barrel brewhouse and 3,600 square feet of space. It should have four beers on tap to start with: SMASH Pale Ale, SKEYE'S the Limit IPA, Tobias Red Ale and Yakita Porter, an English-style dark beer. The fifth flagship beer, PoleSki Pilser, an Eastern European lager, is set to make its debut in July. Rotating seasonal beers and barrel-aged beers will also be on tap in the future.

Odell Brewing will celebrate its newest bottled beer today through Sunday in the taproom. Brombeere is a 4.8 percent ABV blackberry gose with a "balance of tangy and sweet, and as crisp and lively as some of our favorite late summer evenings," the brewery says. It will be available in four-packs at the end of June.

Saturday, June 20 Hopheads will be in heaven today when Hops & Pie hosts a festival honoring some of the tastiest hoppy beers out there. The Exit 39 Hopfest, starting at noon, features Alpine Duet, Russian River Blind Pig, Melvin Brewing 2X4, Societe The Pupil, Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin, Comrade Brewing Super Power IPA, Cannonball Creek Project Alpha 4, and beers from Boneyard and Green Flash.

Lone Tree Brewing is hosting a Summer Solstice Brew and BBQ Festival at the tap room and in the front parking lot of the brewery today starting at 10 a.m. with a free breakfast (paired with Beermosas and Bloody Mary beers) and continuing through the day and night. The fest will feature a barbecue wing cook-off, outdoor games, special beer tappings, live music from Barrel House String Band (at 5 p.m.), the Wing Wagon food truck and a Daisy Duke/Mustache contest. "Everyone is encouraged to don his or her Summer Solstice attire. Hula hoops will be provided," the brewery says. The event will also celebrate the arrival of Lone Tree’s new twenty-barrel brewhouse.

Chain Reaction Brewing will celebrate its first anniversary today with a party starting at noon. Beers will include all of the brewery's flagships along with "a whole wall for of past, present and future favorites, including plenty of brand new rare small batch stuff." There will also be yard games and food from ChurnandBurn BBQ, which is also celebrating its first birthday.

Spangalang Brewing will release Juneteenth Tripel today to coincide with the annual Juneteenth Music Festival that's taking place in Five Points. Juneteenth Tripel is brewed with rye malt, spelt malt, flaked maize, 2-row barley and spiced in the kettle with dried lemon peel and coriander, the brewery says. "Tons of spice and fruit flavors, but deceptively refreshing given it's ABV of 7.5 percent."

The fourth annual Boulder County BrewBQ (formerly known as the Lafayette Craft Brew & BBQ Festival) takes place today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Atlas Valley Shopping Center, 95th and Arapahoe, in Lafayette. The fest includes more than thirty breweries and ten barbecue restaurants, caterers and professionals for a day of competition and consumption. There will be music, kids' activities, vendors and prize drawings. Tickets are $30 for beer and barbecue or $15 for just the food. You can buy them at ymcabv.org/brewbq. All proceeds benefit the YMCA of Boulder Valley’s scholarship fund and Boulder Rotary Club.

Loveland Ale Works is the first of seven breweries that will screen a new feature documentary, Blood, Sweat, and Beer, which is on a national screening tour. The doc explores "the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries" (neither in Colorado). Other screenings: June 21 at Grand Lake Brewing in Arvada and at Joyride Brewing in Edgewater; June 22 at Denver Beer Co; June 23 at Lyric Cinema Cafe in Fort Collins; June 24 at Aspen Brewing and again at the Lyric Cinema Cafe in Fort Collins. Here's where you can find the trailer.

Sunday, June 21Breckenridge Brewery will officially open its brand-new brewery — part of a twelve-acre, three-building campus — in Littleton today with public tours (reservations encouraged), which begin in the tasting room and include a ten-ounce pour from the daily selection on tap. The brewery will host tours four times a day, Wednesdays through Mondays; they cost $3. "The tour path leads from tasting room to brewery mezzanine overlooking the four-vessel 100-barrel brewhouse, across the bridge to the fermentation building, and continues on to barrel aging and packaging. Tours conclude back in the tasting room with four 4-oz. samples of each visitor's choice," the brewery says. Breck also plans to open its new beer garden today (depending on weather) next to the Farm House restaurant, which opened in May.

Spangalang Brewing and Zivix will kick off a monthly Sunday beer brunch today with a Father's Day edition starting at 10 a.m. They will also be taking walk-ins from noon until 8 p.m. Both prix fixe and 'a la carte options available. The menu includes: A meat, cheddar, and veggie quiche with a side of greens dressed in a homemade white balsamic dressing; an egg, cheddar, meat, veggies, and potatoes burrito; pastries and bread, fresh baked in-house served with butter and jam along with soft cheese and fruit. Each item comes with a full pour of the beer (or juice) of your choice. RSVP to info@spangalangbrewery.com.

It's going to be a long day. The longest day of the year, in fact. To celebrate the solstice, Lucky Pie in LoDo is throwing a party in conjunction with New Belgium Brewing and Imbibe Denver, featuring the several of the brewery's limited beers along with a seasonal menu created by Chef Stephen Culler; the menu that will feature summer produce from Isabelle Farms in Lafayette. There will also be live music from the Industry. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here. You can have dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. or just have beers between 5 and 6 p.m. Beers are: Lips of Faith Pear Ginger Beer; NBB Love Aged in Leopold Bros. Apple Whiskey Barrels; Lips of Faith Coco Mole; Hop Kitchen Series Hop Tart; and 2015 Transatlantique Kriek.

DURANGO, Colo., (June 17, 2015) —Ska’s Seasonal Stout Series welcomes the northern hemisphere’s warm season with the summer release of Estival Cream Stout. Estival Cream Stout will be available starting on the summer solstice: Sunday, June 21st. A third-year offering, this refreshing but satisfying beer pioneered the summer stout category and is a favorite among beer fans whose friends make faces at them. “Some people don’t think a summer stout makes sense, but we haven’t gotten to where we are by just doing what ‘makes sense’” said Bill Graham, Ska co-founder and Overlord of Brewing Operations. “Sometimes you have to be under the curve to be ahead of it. All we know is the entire seasonal stout category—especially summer stout—is going to catch fire at some point.” According to Dave Thibodeau, Ska co-founder and President, the brewery doesn’t see markets the same way others might. “I look at the numbers, and I say okay, where is there more room for growth than in the summer seasonal stout category? Nowhere. Seasonal stouts are probably going to be the fastest-growing category in all of craft beer. Right?” According to Steve Kurowski, marketing manager for the Colorado Brewers Guild, “There is no seasonal stout category. They’re the only ones doing that. Naysayers aside, Graham admits they’re not really looking at the numbers at all—“It’s summer, so we’re busy brewing delicious beers, and drinking them.” According to Graham, the stout’s orange peel citrus and subtle honey “goes really well with campfire smoke.” The packaging for the Estival Cream Stout features a black, 12-oz. can, with Ska’s Pinstripe character emerging from a fiery citrus sun in what could be an allusion to the category’s sales potential. As with all four of the stouts in Ska’s Seasonal Stout series, this beer will be released in cans, and distributed in all of Ska’s markets.

Estival Cream Stout is 5.8% Alcohol By Volume (ABV), and, in keeping with the series’ solstice and equinox release dates, will be tapped on the summer solstice, Sunday June 21st. The release will double as a summer kickoff party and will be held from 1-4 pm at Ska World Headquarters in Bodo Park, an unheralded industrial park on the outskirts of Durango. The event will feature Father’s Day specials, live music from Afrobeatniks, lawn games and mouth-watering food pairings from The Container.

Monday, June 22 Over the past couple of months, Joyride Brewing has been serving up beers named after various Bob Dylan songs. On Monday, the brewery will put all five of them back on tap for one day only. "Did you love our Blood on the Tracks India Red Ale and Blonde on (Belgian) Blond Ale with Apricots?," the brewery asks. "Judging by how fast we went through them both, of course you did." These beers, along with Bringing It All Back Home Sour IPA, Highway 61 Black French Saison and Freewheelin' Experimental Hop IPA will make up the "Dylan Flight, which will cost $10 today. Also, Blood on the Tracks and Blonde on (Belgian) Blonde will only be available in tasters.

Wednesday, June 24Goldspot Brewing will tap its newest beer, la Cienega, a Grisette farmhouse ale today. The beer is based on one that Goldspot co-owner/brewer Matt Hughes has been making for several years. It uses a custom blend of three different yeasts, including Brett.

Rock Bottom Downtown Denver will host a charity tapping party for its Summer Honey Ale today at 6 p.m. A tasting sample of the beer is free between 6 and 6:30 p.m. A portion of pints sold thereafter will be donated to the Delores Project, a Denver-area homeless shelter for unaccompanied women and transgender individuals. Summer Honey Ale is an American Blonde Ale brewed with local honey from Beeyond the Hive, Colorado’s oldest honey company.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will releae HopSavant Galaxy and St. Bretta Pomelo today at 6 p.m. HopSavant Galaxy is the brewery’s third recent release of its Brettanomyces IPA (its very first batch of HopSavant Galaxy was released in 2013 and earned a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival). The latest version, at 7 percent ABV, was primary fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of Brettanomyces yeast and then "received over three pounds per barrel of Galaxy hops, a varietal known for its distinct citrus aroma and stone fruit characters," the brewery says. In addition, Crooked Stave will release St. Bretta Pomelo, a version of the its Brettanomyces Citrus Wildbier, which features zest from Pomelo citrus, a varietal closely resembling a sweet grapefruit.

Thursday, June 25Hogshead Brewery will begin four day's worth of birthday celebrations today. The brewery is turning three years old. There will be new ale releases, live music and other festivities over the course of the long weekend.

Beryl’s Beer Company is also kicking off a four-day birthday celebration today (the brewery is one year old) by debuting A Beryl Full of Laughs at 6 p.m. The comedy night features a performance by Denver-based improv comedy team The Dinner Experience and food from The Cajun Kitchen Food Truck.

Friday, June 26Bery's Beer Company will continue its birthday celebration today and through the weekend. It will have live music and food trucks on its large patio area each night. Tonight, the bands are Dagger Dagger, Dear Me and The Outfit.

The Post Brewing in Lafayette will tap Summer Teath IPA today. The 4 percent ABV quencher was brewed with Azacca and Pekko hops, American 2-row barley malt, red wheat malt and light crystal malt and fermented with the Post's house ale yeast. It was also made with Sunny Green Tea from Boulder's Pekoe Sip House. "This is a tea blend that features dried papaya and pineapple. These aromas shine through along with the hops while the tea delivers an herbal flavor and gently astringent mouthfeel which evokes the sensation of sipping on iced tea," the brewery says. Summer Teath joins another new summer beer from the Post, a Berliner Weiss, which was brewed with the winner of the second Lil' Brewer Buddy homebrew competition, Mike Rivera. The 3 percent ABV beer was made with American 2-Row Barley malt and red wheat malt, then kettle soured over night with lactobacillus delbrueckii, boiled and finished with Kolsch yeast.

Saturday, June 27 Renegade Brewing will celebrate its third anniversary from 3 to 10 p.m. today with a giant block party in front of the brewery on Ninth Avenue, between Santa Fe and Kalamath. A stage on the west end of the street will feature local musicians in the following order: The Unsiblings, Animal Electricity, U Ain't Nevaherd, and then headliner Josh Moorehead and the Guest List. There will also be five food trucks, including Matt's Snack Shack, Baba & Pop's Kitchen, Smokestack 70, Wong Way Veg, and Em's Ice Cream. And, of course, there will be lots of beers, including twelve taps in the taproom, a firkin room and two outdoor beer tents. In addition to Renegade's flagships, you'll find summer seasonals like 5:00 in Bangkok (Afternoon Ale with Lemongrass and Ginger), A Nice Pear (Double Wit with Pear), Smolder (Rauch beer), and Sunday Morning (Coffee Strong Ale). There will also be a few favorites from the year, including Disarm (Pumpkin Farmhouse), Hypocrisy (Pale Stout), Berbere (Imperial Chocolate Oatmeal Stout with spices), and Depravity (Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Milk Stout). And finally, there will be twelve firkins throughout the day. There will be free bike valet parking, and the party is both kid and pet friendly.

Ratio Beerworks will introduce its new summer seasonal today — and unveil its new, 4,000-square-foot patio — with a giant Patio Party from noon to midnight. The beer, called New Wave, is a "tart and refreshing" strawberry Berliner Weisse. The patio features custom tables, games and landscaping. There will be live music in the late afternoon from Andy Thomas and Scooter James. Matt's Snack Shack will be out front serving up wings, grilled cheese and more.

12 Degree Brewing in Louisville will celebrate its two-year anniversary today with a party from noon to midnight. In addition to several special beers, including some that were barrel aged in red wine barrels, there will be music from the West African band Paa Kow at 7:30 p.m., and giveaways all day.

The Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion will host Brews & Bites tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m., featuring beers from breweries that are members of the Colorado Brewers Guild paired with various culinary creations from Colorado chefs. Proceeds from the event, which takes place both inside and outdoors in the gardens, benefit the Governor's Residence Preservation Fund. Tickets are $80 for general admission or $200 for VIP admission, which gets you in an hour early. Find them at imbibe.com.

The Denver Flea will be back today and tomorrow from noon to 7 p.m. in a new location: in a parking garage at 27th and Blake. The flea market-style event includes more than 200 vendors, a dozen food trucks and the collaboration beer that the organizers of the Denver Flea brewed with New Belgium Brewing. That beer, Fleak Out, is a wild ale brewed with several hops varieties and Brettanomyces. It will be served in a tent bar on the rooftop deck. It will only be released three times (twice on Saturday and once on Sunday). There will be a big clock counting down until each pouring.

Tuesday, June 30 The local authors of Italy: Beer Country, Paul Vismara and Bryan Jansing, are hosting a series of Italian beer food pairings around the metro area. The second takes place today at 6:30 p.m. at Il Posto. A four-course meal with Italian beer paired with food from its region will be served, featuring dishes from Chef Andrea Frizzi. The dinner is $75 per person and you can call 303-394-0100 for reservations.

Wednesday, July 1 Crooked Stave will release two beers today at 6 p.m. The complex Flor d’Lees is a 5 percent ABV wild ale aged in oak barrels. "Numerous barrels are sampled to get just the right blend," the brewery says. "Never one to be complacent with brewing tradition and classical styles of beers, Flor d’Lees walks the lines of the most ancient of beers." The second beer is Progenitor Dry Hopped Golden Sour, a 6.2 percent ABV beer fermented with Crooked Stave’s mixed culture of Brettanomyces yeast and bacteria and then dry-hopped.

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Thursday, July 9 Goldspot Brewing and its neighbor, the Noshery (the cafe just celebrated its one-year anniversary), will host a collaborative beer dinner at 6 p.m. tonight at Goldspot. The dinner features meats from Western Daughters. Tickets are $60 and available at either business.

Saturday, July 11 The West End Tavern and The Farm will bring the seventh annual JUL-IPA Festival back to the outdoor pavilion at the Millennium Harvest House today from noon to 4 p.m. in Boulder. A "celebration of the best and the baddest IPAs out there," the event features beer from more than thirty breweries, bites from the West End Tavern (BBQ Pulled Pork, Bacon Baked Beans, and Mac ‘n’ Cheese), live music from the Goonies and Sixty Minute Man and carnival games. Some of the breweries include: Avery Brewing Co., Boulevard Brewing Co., Bristol Brewing Co., BRU Handbuilt Ales, Crazy Mountain Brewing, Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Denver Beer Co., Elevation Beer Co., Epic Brewing Co., Fate Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co., Odd 13 Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, Pikes Peak Brewing, River North Brewery, Sanitas Brewing Co., Ska Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co., Telluride Brewing Co., The Post Brewing Co., Upslope Brewing Co., and Wild Woods Brewery, Tickets are $30 per person and $10 for designated drivers (non-drinking). All proceeds will benefit Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence.

Saturday, July 18 Großen Bart Brewing — the Longmont beer maker with the facial hair theme — will host its inaugural Longmont Mane Festival from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the taproom. Owners Shad Chancey and Taylor Wise plan to fete "beers, beards, and community" at the fest, which will include a Beard & Mustache Contest (it costs $10 to enter at the brewery's website) from 4 to 5 p.m., featuring categories like "The Business Beard", "The Groomed Beard", "The Full Beard Natural", "The Styled Mustache", "The Natural Mustache", "The Goatee", and "Sideburns & Chops." There will also be a "Whiskerella" category for women and a "Freestyle" category for "particularly creative and outlandish facial hair." In addition, there will be live music from 2 to 8 p.m., food trucks all day long, free beard and mustache trims by Sean Murphy, mustache rides (Speed/Obstacle Race on Adult Big Wheels), mustache tattoos (fake), facial Hair-themed vendors, and lots of beer. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door.